This invention is related to a robot and an information processing system, and for example, is suitably applied to an entertainment robot treated as a pet.
Recently, information communication technology using information transmission lines, such as a telephone line for public telephones, mobile telephones and the like, Internet, and communication satellite circuits has been significantly improved in order to surely transmit various kinds of information via images and sounds at real time.
However, such the current information communication technology that can deal with only images and sounds has a problem that it lacks reality in the case where a user transmits his feelings to a communicating party, for example.
Besides, in recent years, development and production of robots has been prosperous in addition to the data communication technology. For example, an amusement robot treated as a pet has been considered, which looks like a dog, a cat or the like and can automatically act according to the surrounding situations.
Such the amusement robot, however, merely acts similarly to a dog or a cat, and can not act, for example, so as to be very helpful for a user, other than amusements.
For example, if such a amusement robot has a communicating function for communicating with the outside through various kinds of transmission lines, such as a telephone line, Internet, and communication satellite circuits, a user can visually transmit his feelings to the amusement robot via movements using the communicating function and can make the robot act so as to be very helpful for himself, so that it will be possible to improve the value of utilizing an amusement robot.
The present invention has been made in view of the aforementioned problems, and is intended to provide a robot and an information processing system that are valuable in use.
In order to solve the aforementioned problems, the present invention provides a robot comprising a movement part for produce movements, an actuator for driving the movement part, an actuator control means for controlling the actuator, a communicating means for receiving signals used between the robot and another electronic device, and an information detecting means for detecting information from signals received by the communicating means. The actuator control means controls the actuator based on the information detected by the information detecting means, to make the movement part produce stated movements, thereby it is possible to improve the value of the robot in use.
Further, in the present invention, the robot comprises a memory means for memorizing stated information, a memorized content changing means for changing the memorized content memorized in the memory means, a communicating means for receiving signals used between the robot and another electronic device, and a request detecting means for detecting an information updating request which indicates the update of stated information from the signals received by the communicating means. The memorized content changing means updates stated information based on the information updating request, which is detected by the request detecting means, thereby it is possible to improve the value of the robot in use.
Further, in the present invention, the robot has an output-of-sensor receiving means for receiving outputs from one or more sensor(s) provided in a user himself or near the user, a user""s condition recognizing means for recognizing the user""s condition based on the outputs of the sensor(s) received by the output-of-sensor receiving means, a movement part for producing stated movements, an actuator for driving the movement part, an actuator control means for controlling the actuator, and a telephone communicating means for receiving signals used between the robot and another electronic device. When the telephone communicating means receives a communication signal from another electronic device, if the phone call is not answered within a fixed time, the actuator control means makes the movement part produce stated movements based on the user""s condition recognized by the user""s condition recognizing means, thereby it is possible to improve the value of the robot in use.
Furthermore, in the present invention, an information processing system comprises one or more sensor(s) provided in the user himself or near the user, a user""s condition recognizing means for recognizing user""s conditions based on outputs of the sensor(s), a response message memory means for memorizing response messages according to the user""s conditions, and a response message output means for outputting a response message. When a phone call is not answered within a fixed time, the response-message output means outputs a response message based on the user""s conditions, which are recognized by the user""s condition recognizing means, thereby it is possible to improve the value of the robot in use.
Furthermore, the present invention provides the robot comprising a movement part for producing movements, an actuator for driving the movement part, an actuator control means for controlling the actuator, a communicating means for transmitting signals used between the robot and another electronic device, an information input means for inputting information from the outside, and an information output means for outputting information to the outside. The actuator control means controls the actuator based on the information, which is input to the information input means, to make the movement part produce stated movements, and the information output means outputs the stated information from the communicating means to another electronic device based on the information, which is input to the information input means, thereby it is possible to improve the value of the robot in use.
Furthermore, the present invention provides the robot comprising a sensor means for inputting information from a user, a movement part for producing movements, an actuator for driving the movement part, an actuator control means for controlling the actuator, an information output means for outputting stated information, and a communicating means for transmitting signals used between the robot and another electronic device. When an input is not reached from a user within a fixed time, the actuator control means makes the movement part produce stated movements. After producing the stated movements, when the input is not reached yet from the user within a fixed time, the communicating means transmits stated information output from the information output means to another electronic device, thereby it is possible to improve the value of the robot in use.
Furthermore, the present invention provides the robot comprising a movement part for producing movements, an actuator for driving the movement part, an actuator control means for controlling the actuator, a signal receiving means for receiving signals used between the robot and another electronic device, an electronic device control means for controlling another electronic device, and an information detecting means for detecting stated information from the signals received by the signal receiving means. The actuator control means controls the actuator based on the stated information detected by the information detecting means to make the movement part produce stated movements, and the electronic device control means controls another electronic device based on the stated information detected by the information detecting means, thereby it is possible to improve the value of the robot in use.